Clothes-basket.



I. F. SARGENT.

CLOTHES BASKET. APPLICATION. FILE-D JAN. 20. 1916.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916 I, "cums r-msus cow. Morn mu. WASH/Nam". n. c.

JAMES F. SARGENT, OF LOWELL, MICHIGAN.

CLOTHES-BASKET.

Specification of Letters I atent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed January 20, 1916. Serial 110. 73,265.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known that I, J AMEs F. SARGENT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lowell,in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Baskets, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in latches for securing the legs offolding legged clothes baskets in extended position, and its objectsare; first to confine the latch or fastening necessary for this purposeexclusively to the bottom of the basket; sec-- 0nd, to avert thenecessity of providing a 7 long actuating handle with locking devices Iat the upper edge ofthe basket, thus disfiguring the ends of the basket,and, third, to greatly simplify the manipulation of the folding legs. Iattain these objects by the mechanism, construction and mode ofoperation shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is anelevation of a basket and folding legs, with the legs extended, Fig. 2is an end View of a basket base showing the form of the feet and of thelatch and its several connecting elements, and, Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the latch or spring detached.

Similar reference numerals indicate similar parts throughout the severalviews.

In Fig. 1, 1 represents the basket body; 2 is the longitudinal basecleat, of which there should be several secured upon the bottom of thebasket. The cross cleats are firmly secured to these cleats, asindicated at 4, and, in turn, the cleats 3, 3 to which the legs 8 aresecured, are pivotally connected with the cleats 4, 4, as indicated at7, 7.' These cleats, 3, 3 should be slightly beveled or tapered outward,as indicated, for the purpose of throwing the lower ends of the legsconsiderably out of the vertical, or flaring from the bottom of thebasket outward. 11, 11 represent ordinary helical springs properlyconnected with the cleats 3, 3 and the basket body to draw the legs 8, 8up into folded position against the bottom of the basket, as indicatedby the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

My securing element, or latch, consists of a spring 5, one end of whichis secured to the base cleat between this cleat and the cross cleat 4,as" at 10, so thls end of the spring will be held rigidly in place whilethe other end of the spring is passed under the edge of the cross cleat4: in such a manner that by pressing upon the spring 5 at 12 the catch 6will be drawn oif of the loop 9 and the cross cleat 3 will be releasedand the spring 11 will draw the legs up into folded position, ashereinbefore mentioned.

The outer ends of the cleats 3, 3 are made to project considerably belowthe body of the cleat for the purposes: first, of providing sufficientspace between the edges of thecleats and the ends of the projections tosafely contain the staples 9 without danger of these staples coming incontact with the floor when the legs 8, 8 are folded for storing thebaskets, and, second, to provide a short leg at each corner of thebasket for the basket to stand upon when the legs 8, 8 are folded underthe basket.

The staples, or loops 9, are secured into the ends of the cleats 3, 3and arranged to pass just outside of the spring catch 5, but the catch 6on the spring 5 must project far enough beyond the body of the loop orstaple 9 to form a rigid catch to engage the body of the staple when thelegs are extended, and thus to hold the legs firmly in place whenextended, the staple being so arranged that as the legs 8, 8 are swungoutward into vertical, or practically vertical position, the staple 9will force the catch 6 backward so the staple can pass over the catch 6on the spring 5 and the spring 5 will then force the catch 6 outwardinto position to engage and hold the staple and, with it, the legs inthe desired extended positions.

The objects for making a sliding bearing for the end 14 of the springlatch 5 are: first, to provide for the easy working of the spring torelease the staple 9 when desired, and, second, to avert the danger ofthe end 14: of the spring being drawn away from the bottom of the basketby the movement of the basket along the floor with the legs extended, orby the strong tension of the springs 11, 11 when the legs are extended.I desire to have it understood, also, that when the spring latches 5, 5are not made too heavy it may not be necessary to allow the end 14 toslide, as sufiicient flexibility may be allowed in the spring to renderit possible to bend the spring back far enough to release the staplefrom under the point of he hat h at What I claim, as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. In combination with a clothes basket cross cleats secured to thebottom thereof,

legs pivotally secured to said cleats in pairs, and springs connectedwith the legs to draw them into folded position on the bottom of thebasket; a spring latch securely connected at one end with each bottomcleat of the basket, and the other end slidingly connected therewith, acatch near the sliding end of each latch, and means connected with thelegs to be made to engage said catches when the legs are in extendedposition.

2. In combination with a clothes basket, longitudinal cleats on thebottom of the basket, cross cleats secured to the longitudinal cleats,legs connected upon a cleat, said cleat pivotally connected with thecross cleats for the free movement of the legs pivotally therefrom, andsprings for moving the legs into folded position against the bottom ofthe basket; fiat spring latches secured at one end to the bottom cleatsof the basket, and at the other end slidingly secured to the bottom ofthe basket,'a catch formed near the sliding end of each latch, a staplesecured in the edge of each leg supporting cleat in position to be madeto engage said catches when the legs are extended and hold the legs inextended position.

3. In combination with a clothes basket having folding legs and springsfor drawing the legs into folded position, cleats connecting the legs inpairs, staples secured to the edges of the cleats, semicircular springlatches connected with the bottom of the basket and passing over the legconnecting cleats, the staples in the edges of said cleats in positionto be made to engage the latches and hold the legs in extended position,said latches arranged to be readilydisconnected from the staples, as andfor the purpose set forth.

Signed at Lowell Michigan January 17th JAMES F. SARGENT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

